The Moon Shines when the Sun Isn't Around

Fading Smiles

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**Chapter: Fading Smiles**

The days that followed felt oddly normal for Oreo and King—on the surface, at least. Their usual banter filled the school halls and their shared moments in class. King was still showing up with snacks, cracking jokes, and making everyone laugh, but something about him felt... off. Oreo couldn't quite put her finger on it, but his energy wasn't the same. It wasn't just that he was quieter. It was more like something deeper, something that weighed him down, though he hid it well behind his usual grin.

They sat together at their usual spot during lunch, with King tossing an unopened bag of Oreos in her direction.

**King:** "There you go, snack monster. Don't say I never take care of you."

Oreo caught the bag with a playful glare.

**Oreo:** "Careful. You're spoiling me with all this. Pretty soon I'll start demanding gourmet meals delivered straight to class."

She expected him to fire back with some over-the-top response, something sarcastic or dramatic, but instead, he just smiled—thin, a little tired. The kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes.

**King:** "Yeah, guess I better watch out, huh?"

Oreo frowned, lowering the snack bag. His usual goofy energy just wasn't there. His words felt flat, like he was forcing himself to keep up appearances. She knew King had his moments of chill, but this felt different.

**Oreo:** "You good? You've been kind of... I don't know, quiet lately." 
She kept her tone light, not wanting to push too hard but also unable to ignore the shift in him.

King shrugged, opening a bag of chips but barely eating any. He stared at them like they were a chore, like even eating was taking more effort than it should.

**King:** "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."

Oreo narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully. He looked fine on the surface, but there were little signs—dark circles under his eyes, the way he leaned back in his chair like his whole body was heavy. She wasn't buying it.

**Oreo:** "Tired, huh? Since when do you get tired? You're the guy who's always bouncing off the walls, keeping everyone entertained." 
She raised an eyebrow, hoping to get more out of him.

King smirked, but it was weak. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

**King:** "Yeah, well, even I need a recharge sometimes. Maybe I'm just running low on jokes."

Oreo studied him, her concern deepening. He was brushing it off like it was nothing, but she could see the cracks. She'd known him long enough to know when he was faking it, and right now, he was definitely faking it.

**Oreo:** "Uh-huh. So what's really going on?"

King's eyes flicked up to meet hers for a brief second before he looked away, his fingers toying with the wrapper of his snack. For a moment, she thought he might actually say something real, something more than the surface-level excuses he'd been giving her. But then he sighed and leaned back again, forcing a grin.

**King:** "I'm serious, Oreo. I'm good. Just got some stuff on my mind, nothing big."

Oreo didn't push any further, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. King always had this way of making everything seem fine, even when it wasn't. It was like he felt responsible for keeping everyone else happy, for being the one who lightened the mood. But she could see through it now—there was something underneath, something he wasn't saying.